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Monday, February 26, 2018

This will one of my boring rants / reviews so if that sounds terribly annoying to you, feel free to close out the blog. Won't hurt my feelings, I promise.
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I used to like Bath & Body a lot. Hadn't been there in years but during their semi annual sale earlier this year, I decided to splurge on some lotions, soaps, perfume, etc. I ended up getting a terrible headache from the perfume and the lotions. Even the more expensive ones which weren't discounted, didn't seem to react well. I'm not saying Bath & Body is a bad brand but it seems suited for younger folks. Those ingredients that most people can't read seem to agitate my system now in my old age. I'm leaning toward the natural ways.

If you're like me, no longer a spring chicken, chances are your skin have seen better days. Chances are you've used harsh chemical-filled lotions, face washes, etc without thinking twice and then attributed bad skin issues to age. In my early twenties, I started using those face washes which advertised opening up pore and whatnot for a deep clean and as a young person at the time, I wanted to try something new without much thought about what went on my face. Well, they opened up pores all right and never closed them. My once smooth, taut skin looks riddled with huge pores; skin became lackluster and not many years later, I looked like a dog with droopy cheeks. Then I tried the so called most gentle brand of face wash thinking it would help the bad skin issues, and it made my face burned. In fact, after having ruined my face from those cleansers, my skin has become excessively sensitive that all those popular brands make my face burn.

So... I turned to expensive brands hoping they could fix my bad skin issues like roughness, huge pores, droopiness, dark spots, etc thinking it's an age/hydration thing. My sister who used Estee Lauder and those expensive department store creams claimed their effectiveness and I decided to loosen the purse strings and tried those out, even Clinique, which I heard great things about. Made my skin smooth after the first several applications and then started burning. After having those jars/tubes for a while, they developed some strange alterations in the smell, like denaturing alcohol. In the long run, nothing changed to fix the problems I wanted fix and I was nervous every time I put those on wondering if adding more chemicals was going to fix what chemicals might have damaged.

Back in December, I was on Amazon looking to spend my gift card, I found this brand and thought I'd share it with you: Farmstead Apothecary. ***Just a note that I am not endorsing this product or claiming its effectiveness. I am not being paid to write this (though would be nice if that were the case!). Just sharing my experience with anyone interested in a more natural alternative to those chemical filled products.***

This is really the ingredient list on their Anti-Aging Face Cream with Jojoba Oil:Ingredients: Water, organic safflower oil, organic jojoba oil, non-GMO vegetable emulsifying wax, organic radish root ferment, stearic acid, non-GMO vitamin E oil, organic natural fruit fragrance
As they further explain on their website, the stearic acid is derived from plants. I heard good things about jojoba (pig nut) but never tried. Figured it wouldn't hurt and the online reviews, though limited, were positive. Hey, I had free money from a gift card and at less than $20, still a world cheaper than those fancy brands that did nothing.

I'm not sure what I expected. The product came in a plastic jar which to me, felt cheap, but I guess those fancy brands use fancy jars and then charge an arm and a leg. Mentally though, I did think it was cheap. First impression after opening the jar was: this looks like Crisco and smells like weird yogurt. I could smell both of the scents marked on the label but they oddly did not go well together. It could have been attributed to jojoba, I don't know. This was another mental note made that lowered expectations right away. However, I kept looking at the simple ingredient list and decided why the heck not?

Well, I'm glad I gave this brand a chance. After a couple months of using this product, my skin looks a lot nicer. The pore issues have dramatically decreased, my skin feels taut to the point that I thought my chubby face shrank. Used it on my neck which has the second chin issue and that seemed to diminish as well. Skin feels smooth but not doughy (if you know what I mean). Only downside though is that if I happen to get my skin wet after application, and I mean hours later, not immediately, some of the smoothness diminishes and seems skin around the eyebrows area flakes a bit. I'm not sure if that's due to the cream or something else. Overall, like other face cream, reapplication is a must to keep the "hawtness" going (XD) The jar is 4 oz. I still have at least half left after applying it daily for about two months. I can easily see this lasting four to six months.

Final Thoughts: Farmstead Apothecary has my business, at least for face cream. I've tried their body butter and not entirely impressed but we'll leave it at that. Sans the initial smell which has become normal to me, I love the natural ingredients. I don't feel uneasiness when putting this on my skin compared to chemical filled products. It goes to show that price doesn't always equate to quality or effectiveness (at least for me). Natural is sometimes the way. This small brand got it right.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

If you're single, like me, there's always discounted candy at Walmart tomorrow! Just kidding, don't eat too much candy (bad for ya!). On the bright side, we can always look forward to next year for a chance at becoming the MC in our own love stories which have yet been written. Lunar New Year is in two days so it's not that far away!

Whether you're lucky enough to have someone or waiting for that 2D crush to become 3D, treat yourself to something nice this Valentine. Enjoy the pretty decorations and rejoice in the festive atmosphere.

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Am I the only one who's noticed a change in the Wizardess Heart MC, Liz Hart, in the new story lines? She's not the simple, blushing, understanding though dumb type of girl they've had since the inception of the series. In Zeus's route (the newest route), she seems short tempered, slightly snarky, assertive, and a tad sharper. She kind of reminds me a little of my MC, except Bao Lai is also goofy and socially awkward.

I wonder what provoked the change... different writers, maybe? Or maybe the same writers thought she'd act differently because Liz didn't have a buddy/boyfriend in the first three years at the academy in this route. Maybe the personality change could be attributed to maturity without a bf to rely on. Not sure. I'm liking Liz a bit better than her old airhead version but I still think Amelia deserves her own route with Prof Merkulova.

What are your thoughts on the matured/modified Liz Hart? How do you like Zeus?

For those who haven't checked out this series, it's free in the Playstore and one of the better ones by Shall We Date Apps. Give it a try.

Friday, February 9, 2018

Here's my Polaris Valentine doodle featuring the MC, Bao Lai, and one of the guys she can get from volume 1, Kang Lang. Decided to go with the yandere/tsundere theme because Kang Lang is such a sweet with crazy person.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

My tablet has been acting up and I've recently managed to get it working again. I've just re-downloaded Rental Boyfriends and looks like there is another contest; fan art this time. Bad thing is... last day to enter is tomorrow. It has to be Valentine's Day theme. Just FYI in case you're interested. Download the game to get more info from the news board plus use the guys' pictures as references for your art. Last minute, I know, but some of you artists out there are fast and creative so I'm sure if you really want to enter, it's not impossible.

I'll stay out of this contest because of late notice and quite frankly, I know my art is noob status. Need to work on it. I think I'll post a quick Polaris Valentine doodle next week with the (literally) crazy romantic, Kang Lang. He's actually my favorite character to write for because he's such an @$$! I wonder what that says about me. Huh.

Sunday, February 4, 2018

It was snowing today when I woke up. Holy smokes, I haven't seen this much snow in so long! When I was a kid, seeing snow made me giddy because I'd always hope for a day (or many days) off from school. Now, it's pretty but a pain because I really don't want to drive in it. Hopefully it'll clear up before I leave for work tomorrow. Here are a couple pics.

Friday, February 2, 2018

Got my free Geek Fuel box today. Came with the items listed in the previous post (Transfomers T-shirt, GF lanyard & pin, Steam code, and a random journal.) I received the Zelda journal. It's really nice in person; well made. I don't usually write in journals but tempted to fill this one up because it's so pretty... either that or put it up as decoration. Maybe I'll keep it on the nightstand as a dream journal.

Well, anyhow, just wanted to show that the GF offer was legit. The promo is now over though, I believe, but who knows, they might do it again. Keep an eye out for next time. ;)